Colorado Rockies Dream Team

 

Every sport evolves with each passing generation -- from the

size and athleticism of players to game strategy. 

Baseball’s evolution, however, is both historic and unique given

the pre-integration and dead ball eras. For the former, full

segregation took place from 1887-1947. Full integration, which

was a gradual process, came in 1959. The Deadball Era was a

period in the early 20th century when baseball was

characterized by low scoring and emphasis on pitching. 

There was the Steroid Era, which has no definite start time though

it is generally assumed that the era ran from the late 1980s until

the late 2000s. This era was defined by shattered home run

records leading to exorbitant salaries. 

The Colorado Rockies have existed since 1993 with the Florida

Marlins (now known as the Miami Marlins), only the Arizona

Diamondbacks have a shorter Major League Baseball history.

The Rockies have been to the postseason five times, all as a

wild card team. The Rockies won the National League pennant

in 2007. 

Today, I formed a Rockies Dream Team. For openers, to make

this roster, four years as a Rockie are required. No exceptions.

With the free agency era, I’m not going to cheapen this roster

with 1-3 year rentals. The conundrum with forming a Rockies

Dream Team is that the history is long enough to create a starting

lineup but the players that provide bullpen and bench depth might

be a reach. 

I’m forming a 12 man pitching staff, five starters and seven

relievers. For the latter, I want at least one lefthander in the bullpen.

For position players, I am taking what I believe is the best of the

best regardless of era. I’m not picking a designated hitter because

the bench has enough quality depth to choose one on a given day.

For the bench players, it’s the best of the rest with versatility being

heavily considered. Merit achievements such as Hall of Fame,

All Star appearances and Gold Gloves are considered but not

guaranteed. General impactfulness on the franchise is also

considered.

Generational reminders

If you played on a World Series champion or playoff team, there is

no guarantee of landing on this roster. If you played during a bad

season, that does not deter you from being on this roster. Off the

field baggage is not a deterrent to landing on this team, nor is any

Steroid Era affiliation. This is baseball, not the Boys Scouts. 

Starting rotation

Ubaldo Jimenez, Aaron Cook, German Marquez, Jorge De La

Rosa, Jeff Francis

Jimenez spent parts of six seasons with the Rockies, going 46-34

with a 3.43 ERA. His best season was 2010 when he was fourth

in the Cy Young balloting and an All-Star representative. Cook

spent much of his career with the Rockies. He was a key part of

the 2007 team that reached the World Series and went 27-15 over

the course of 2008-2009. Over the course of five seasons,

Marquez has fashioned a 42-30 record. De La Rosa pitched nine

seasons with the Rockies, recording double victory totals in four

of those seasons. Francis pitched a total of eight seasons with

the Rockies, recording 64 victories, 17 of which came during the

2007 season on the way to helping the team reach the World

Series.

Bullpen

Closer -- Jose Jimenez. 

Rafael Betancourt, Adam Ottavino, Steve Reed, Bruce Ruffin,

Brian Fuentes, Darren Holmes.

In his four seasons with the Rockies, Jimenez recorded 102 saves,

including a franchise record in a single season, 31 in 2002.

Betancourt pitched a total of six seasons with the Rockies and

fashioned a 3.53 ERA, including 31 saves in the 2012 season.

Reed was an original Rockie and pitched a total of seven seasons

with the franchise, compiling a 3.14 ERA. Ruffin was an original

Rockie and pitched five years with the franchise, recording 60 saves

and a 3.84 ERA. Fuentes pitched seven seasons with the Rockies

and was an All-Star in three of them. Holmes was an original

Rockie and pitched five years with the franchise, recording 46 saves. 

Infield

Catcher -- Chris Iannetta, First Base -- Todd Helton, Second Base

-- DJ LaMahieu, Shortstop -- Troy Tulowitski, Third Base -- Nolan

Arrenado. 

Iannetta gets the nod at catcher by default. He played eight seasons

with the Rockies, including which he helped them reach the World

Series in 2007. Helton is the easy choice at first base, playing all 17

seasons with the franchise. He was a five-time All-Star, four-time

Silver Slugger Award winner and three-time Gold Glove winner.

LeMahieu played seven seasons with the Rockies, earning two

All-Star nods and two Gold Glove Awards. Tulowitzki was injury-

prone but in his 10 seasons with the Rockies he was an All-Star

five times, won two Silver Slugger Awards and two more Gold Glove

Awards. Arrenado’s legacy is still in progress since he is still with the

franchise. However, during his eight seasons, Arrenado has been

an eight-time Gold Glove winner, five-time All-Star and four-time

Silver Slugger Award winner.

Outfield

Leftfield -- Matt Holliday, Centerfield -- Charlie Blackmon, Rightfield

-- Larry Walker. 

Holiday spent a total of six seasons with the Rockies, earning three

All-Star appearances and he was also the 2007 NLCS MVP in

helping the Rockies reach the World Series. Blackmon's legacy is

still in progress since he remains with the franchise after 10 seasons.

During that time, he was a four-time All Star, two-time Silver Slugger

Award winner and owns the Major League record for RBIs in a single

season for a leadoff hitter. Walker is a slam-dunk choice for right field.

On the way to a Hall of Fame career, 10 seasons with the Rockies,

Walker was a five-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove Award winner,

three-time Silver Slugger Award, three-time Major League batting

champion and the National League MVP in 1997.

Bench

Wilin Rosario, Trevor Story, Vinny Castilla, Dante Bichette, Andres

Galarraga, Ellis Burks. 

Rosario played just four seasons with the Rockies but would be the

backup catcher on this team by default. He finished fourth of the

National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2011. Story’s legacy is

also still in progress since he is still with the franchise after five

seasons. During which time, Story has become a two-time All-Star

and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He was also the fastest

shortstop to reach 100 career home runs in Major League history.

Young played 16 Major League seasons, including four with the

Rockies and he was an original member of the franchise. Galarraga

was an original Rockie. In his five seasons with the franchise,

Galarraga was a two-time All-Star and twice led the National League

in RBI. Castilla was also an original Rockie. He was a two-time All-

Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

Bichette was also an original Rockie, spending five years with the

franchise. Bichette was a four-time All-Star and  in 1995 was a Silver

Slugger Award winner, National League leader in home runs and

RBIs. Burks played five seasons with the Rockies with 1996 being

his best. Making an All-Star appearance and winning a Silver

Slugger Award.

Manager

Clint Hurdle

Hurdle gets the nod by default. He spent eight seasons managing

the Rockies. His record of 534-625 and the fact that the Rockies

had just one winning season in his tenure may not be impressive.

Hurdle, however, guided the Rockies to reaching the World Series

in 2007, something that might take a long time to be duplicated. 

Team

2007. 

This team defined what it was like to make a mad dash to the

playoffs.  On September 16th, the team's record was 76-72 but the

Rockies won 14 of their last 15 regular-season games. Colorado

then defeated San Diego 9-8 in 13 innings in a one-game playoff to

earn a wild-card berth. The Rockies swept Philadelphia in the NLDS

and later the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS before getting

swept by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.